Rear lamp and license-number.



L. m. HICKBY. BEAR LAMP mp monusn NUMBER.

APPLIOATIOI FILED 1A3. 30. 191B.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR A/Iomey WITNESSES W w (PM :OLUII A rusouuru ru.. Q \mmumu, u c.

L. M. 'HIOKBY.

REAR LAMP AND moms NUMBER.

, APPLIOATIOI rim) 21.30.1912. 1,055,172.

INV ENTOA Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l I l l l l l l lw h l I H l l l l hmmml l H 4 A M m M \W/ T/VESSES HarmFOLUIIIA PLANOOIAIH COHWAIIHNTQN. E i

LAUREN OE M. HIOKEY, 01' DENVER, COLORADO.

BEAR LAMP AND LICENSE-NUMBER.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

Application filed larch 80, 1912. Serial No. 687,385.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, LAURENCE M. 'I'IIOKEF, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing 1n the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado,have invented-certain new and useful Improvements intRear Lamps andLieense-Yumbers, of which the following 1s a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in rear lamps andlicense-numbers, and the object is to rovide a lam 'having a transparentwim ow and rovided with a rality of numbcr-disp aying curtains w 1ch aremanually movable to such a position that the numbers thereon are visiblethrough the transparent window and that at night the li ht shinesthrough the curtain to aecomp ish the double unction of dis laying thenumber and showing a rear li t.

This invention relates to certain other novel features of constructionand combinations of arts which will be hereinafter fully described andpointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a view in front elevation ofmy improved lamp, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view,showing one of the number-carrying curtains moved to a position todisplay the number thereon F1g. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation, ligs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the winding rolls, and Figs. 0, 7 and 8are detail views of the curtain.

A, is the'lamp casing which is provided with the usual reflector 1 inposition to focus the rays from the lamp 2, which in this instance isshown as being an incandescent electric bulb of the usual t pe, althoughit is evident that an oil or 0t ier lamp may be used with equally goodresults. An 0 ening 3 is formed in the front of the casing A, and thisopenin is covered by a transparent window 4 of celluloid which is heldin place by a binding strip tS-received upon its edges. 'lhe top anbottom 6 and 7 of the casm are provided on their inner edges withgrooves a which receive flanges B when the casing is moved transverselywith respect to the reflector for holding the two in their assembledposition.

Spring rollers .9, 1O, 11, and 12 are mounted on the casing and haveattached thereto strips 13 of fabric or other flexible material whichare provided on their free edges with the button-hole openings 14, 14.Slots 15 are formed through each side of the easing, and near theirupper and lower terminus these slots are provided with branches 16 and17. Rods 18, 19, 20, and 21 are received in the slots 15 and are heldfrom endwise displacement by the knobs 22, 22, received upon their ends.Each of the rods 18, 19, 20 and 21 has secured thereto (by riveting orotherwise) a button-hole strip 23 simi ar t0 the strip 13 which isprovided with button-holes 24. When thc ods are in their normalposition, rod 18 rests in the upper terminus of the slot 15; the rod 19in the upper branch 17; rod 21 in the lower terminus of the slot; androd 20 in thelower branch 17. Flexible number-carrying curtains 25, 26,27, and 28, shown more in detail in Figs. 6 7 and 8 have a row ofbuttons 29 alon eac end spaced to be received within t to button-holes14 and 24 formed in the flexible strips "connected to the spring rollersand the rods. The curtain 25 is connected with the roller 10 and the rod18; curtain 26 is connected with roller 9 and rod 19; curtain 27 isconnected with roller 11 and rod 20; and curtain 28 is connected withroller 12 and rod 21. It is preferable that the curtains 25 and 26carried by the upper spring rollers be exact duplicates of each otherwith the exception that the numbers carried by one curtain are in whiteor a like color, whereas the other curtain has the munbers printed inred; and the same arrange ment as to the curtains is also desirable withthe lower pair of rollers, although it will be readil understood thateach curtain may be provit ed with different subject-matter. It is theintention with this arrangement of parts that the lamp shall carry twosets of icense-numbers, for instance the licensenumbers in two ditferentStates, a city and State, or two foreign countries, and that one curtainof a set s all be moved to a position that the numbers thereon arevisible during the day through the window 4. At night this curtain maybe moved from visible position and the other curtain of the setsubstituted in its place, and then when the lamp is lighted the numbersappear visible through t e window in red, which accomplishes the doublefunction of illuminating BEST AVAlLABLE COP the license-number;andwprov'idin "*a red lightin'tlie'rear as-required'byt e motor laws inmost localities.

Assuming that the parts are in2their -normal positionpor in suchposition that any one of the curtains is not visible 'through 'thewindow, the operation is as follows to display. the number containedupon oneofthe curtains :-The rod 18, forinstance, will be in the upperterminus of the slot 15. The knobs 22 at each end thereof are graspedand the rod ism'oved down throu h slot 15, and thence upinto the branch%6 near the lower terminus .which, dueto the spring tension of theroller 10, draws the curtaintaut over rods. 30 and 30 which hold it inposition to be visibleithrough window 4. When it is desired to display anumber contained upon one of the other curtains, the rod 18 is releasedfrom branch 16 and permitted to 0 back to its normal position due to thespring tension of the roller 10, and one of the other rods is movedthrough the slot 15 and intoone of the branches 16 to display its numberthrough the window.

The s ring rollers 0 and 11 are in such close pr imity to the rollers 10and 12 respectively that to remove or insert a curtain in said rollerswould be very difiicult, and to overcome this difiiculty I have mountedthe rollers 9 and 11 at each end upon the swinging brackets 81, 31,which are pivoted to the sides of the casing as at 32. A pin 83 iscarried on the outside of each of the brackets 31 in position to bereceived inan opening 34 formed in the spring 35 secured to the side ofthe casing. As a means'of relcasin the pin from the sprin a screwthreaed rod 36 connected with t e free end of the spring and extendingthrough the casing has a nut 37 received upon the screwthreads to drawthe s rin a ainst the side of the casing an re ease t e pin 38 from theopening 84 which ermits ofthe roller being swun from its 0 ose proximitywith the other ro ler of that set. To hold the lower roller 11 in theraised position to which it is swung, it may be nccessarv to provide ahook 38 in position to be received around the pin 38.

As a means for protectin the slots15 and preventingice, mud, an otherforeign substances from lodgin therein, shields 39 are provided at eachside which are hinged at 40 to swing into line with the front of thecasing, an are held closed by latches 41.

It will t me be seen that I have provided a device of the characterdescribed in which a plurality of number-displaying curtains which aredetachabl received within the casing may be broug t to a positionso thatthe numbers are visible throughan-open- '"Havin connected with each ofthe rol the rods, and means for moving one of said in injzthe casing,and also when the lamp is 'urning, the light and numbers are visible atthe same time.

fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the character described comprising a casing having awindow formed therein, a plurality of spring-roll .ers mounted in thecasing, slots formed in either side of the casing, rods received withinthe slots, number-carrying curta ns ers and with rods through the saidslot to a position to display the number carried on the curtainconnected therewith.

2. A device of the character described comprising a casing having awindow formed therein. a plurality of Springr0llers mounted in thecasing, slots formed in either side of the casing, rods received withinthe slots, number-carrying curtains connected with each of the rollersand with the rods, means )ositioned to be manually operated from theexterior of the casing for moving one of said rods through said slot toa position to display the number carried on the curtain connectedtherewith. and a branch extending from said slot for holding the rod insaid last-named osition.

3. A- device of the character (escribed comprising a casing having awindow' 4. A device of the character described comprising a casinghaving a window formed therein. one or more sets of springs rollersmounted in the casing, slots formed in the casing, rods received withinthe slots. number-carrying curtains connected with the spring-rollersand rods, means for dis playing each of said curtains before theywindow, one of said curtains having the numbers thereon printed in red,and a lump received behind said curtain in a position to throw its lighttherethrough.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. in the presence of twowitnesses.

LAURENCE M. HICKEY.

Witnesses:

Emma D. DAVIS,. Vmcm F. 'Wn'riuoan.

00pm otthl s patent may be obtained for flve'eents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

